To listen to more of Claudia Roden’s stories, go to the playlist: • Claudia Roden (Food writer)
Claudia Roden (b. 1936) is an Egyptian-born British cookbook writer and cultural anthropologist of Sephardi/Mizrahi descent. She is best known as the author of Middle Eastern cookbooks including "A Book of Middle Eastern Food", "The New Book of Middle Eastern Food" and "The Book of Jewish Food". In this unique interview for Web of Stories, Claudia Roden is talking to her granddaughter Nelly Wolman about her life in food. [Listener: Nelly Wolman; date recorded: 2022]
TRANSCRIPT: Paul's father also originated in Russia. And the family had come and stopped in Wales – I'm not sure which city, which port – thinking they had arrived in America. But then he came onto London, and he had been helping her with the work to begin with. And then, during the war, he became an Empresario for the forces. He worked with the military, and he was always with singers and musicians and entertainers, and comics, and he was, it seems, very charismatic. And that was... I don't know why he wasn't sent in the war. There might have been a reason. But this was his job and after the war, he then went back to help his wife's business, being a salesman, going around as well. But he died very young. When Paul was very young. I'm just not sure whether Paul was 16 or 14. But... so, it means Paul actually went to work early.
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